[ LETTER ]

Fate of Detroit

Published: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 10:36 p.m.

Labor Day's editorial "President Harry S. Truman: Strength of Labor" quoted President Truman's 1948 Labor Day speech from a platform in Detroit, where he was joined by the mayor of Detroit and two of the most powerful labor union leaders of the day.

Mr. Truman said, "I am more than happy to join in this Labor Day celebration. I am more than happy to be present with CIO and AF of L in marching together side by side in the interest of the welfare of the country's citizens."

It is informative to look at what happened to the interests and welfare of the country's citizens when politicians and labor march side by side as Mr. Truman said.

Fast forward to 2013 Detroit to see the results of labor unions and politicians sympathetic to their unions.

Two of Detroit's largest companies, General Motors and Chrysler, went bankrupt because of strong labor unions and bad management. Both had to be saved by the taxpayers of the United States.

The city of Detroit suffered the fate of bankruptcy because of strong government employees' unions and politicians sympathetic to labor unions.

I don't think your editorial will be complete until the result of President Truman's and the unions' actions is told.

<p>Labor Day's editorial "President Harry S. Truman: Strength of Labor" quoted President Truman's 1948 Labor Day speech from a platform in Detroit, where he was joined by the mayor of Detroit and two of the most powerful labor union leaders of the day.</p><p>Mr. Truman said, "I am more than happy to join in this Labor Day celebration. I am more than happy to be present with CIO and AF of L in marching together side by side in the interest of the welfare of the country's citizens."</p><p>It is informative to look at what happened to the interests and welfare of the country's citizens when politicians and labor march side by side as Mr. Truman said.</p><p>Fast forward to 2013 Detroit to see the results of labor unions and politicians sympathetic to their unions.</p><p>Two of Detroit's largest companies, General Motors and Chrysler, went bankrupt because of strong labor unions and bad management. Both had to be saved by the taxpayers of the United States.</p><p>The city of Detroit suffered the fate of bankruptcy because of strong government employees' unions and politicians sympathetic to labor unions.</p><p>I don't think your editorial will be complete until the result of President Truman's and the unions' actions is told.</p><p>KELLY NORTON</p><p>Lakeland</p>